Diabetes mellitus is a progressively debilitating disorder of epidemic proportions leading to various micro- and macrovascular complications and morbidity. The most common type of diabetes, type 2 diabetes, is characterized by increasing insulin resistance associated with inadequate insulin secretion after a period of compensatory hyperinsulinemia. Free fatty acids (FFAs) are evidenced to influence insulin secretion from β cells primarily by enhancing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) expressed in β cells are known to modulate the release of insulin in response to changes in plasma glucose levels. GPR40, also known as fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1), is a membrane-bound FFA receptor which is preferentially expressed in the pancreatic islets and specifically in β cells and mediates medium to long chain fatty acid induced insulin secretion. GPR40 is also expressed in enteroendocrine cells wherein activation promotes the secretion of gut incretin hormones, such as GLP-1, GIP, CCK and PYY. To decrease medical burden of type 2 diabetes through enhanced glycemic control, GPR40 modulator compounds hold the promise of exerting an incretin effect to promote GSIS as well as potential combination with a broad range of anti-diabetic drugs.
The present invention relates to novel substituted pyrrolidine compounds which have the ability to modulate GPR40. Such compounds are therefore potentially useful for the treatment or prophylaxis of diabetes and related conditions.